Posted by Seoul, South Korea: Samsung Electronics has commenced mass production of 16-gigabit (Gb) LPDDR5 mobile DRAM at its second production line in Pyeongtaek, Korea.
The new 16 Gb LPDDR5 mobile DRAM is claimed to be the industry’s first memory being mass-produced using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, the company said.
Built on Samsung’s third-generation 10nm-class (1z) process, the new 16Gb LPDDR5 boasts the highest mobile memory performance and largest capacity. It enables more consumers to enjoy the full benefits of 5G and AI features in next-generation smartphones.
“The 1z-based 16Gb LPDDR5 elevates the industry to a new threshold, overcoming a major developmental hurdle in DRAM scaling at advanced nodes,” said Jung-bae Lee, EVP – DRAM Product & Technology, Samsung Electronics.
“We will continue to expand our premium DRAM lineup and exceed customer demands, as we lead in growing the overall memory market,” added Lee.
Expanding Manufacturing Capacity in Pyeongtaek Complex
Spanning more than 128,900 square meters (over 1.3 million square feet) – equivalent to about 16 soccer fields – Samsung’s Pyeongtaek Line 2 is the largest-scale semiconductor production line to date.
The new Pyeongtaek line will serve as the key manufacturing hub for the most advanced semiconductor technologies – DRAM, V-NAND and foundry solutions. This will help to reinforce the company’s position in the Industry 4.0 era.
Fastest, Largest-capacity Mobile Memory
Samsung’s new 16Gb LPDDR5 is the first mass-produced memory using EUV technology leveraging the most advanced (1z) process node. It provides the highest speed and largest capacity available in mobile DRAM.
At 6,400 megabits per second (Mb/s), the new LPDDR5 is about 16 percent faster than the 12Gb LPDDR5 (5,500Mb/s) found in most of today’s flagship mobile devices. When made into a 16GB package, the LPDDR5 can transfer about 10 5GB-sized full-HD movies, or 51.2GB of data, in one second.
Thanks to its use of the first commercial 1z process, the LPDDR5 package is 30 percent thinner than its predecessor, enabling 5G and multi-camera smartphones as well as foldable devices to pack more functionality into a slim design.
The 16Gb LPDDR5 can build a 16GB package with only eight chips, whereas its 1y-based predecessor requires 12 chips (eight 12Gb chips and four 8Gb chips) to provide the same capacity.
By delivering the first 1z-based 16GB LPDDR5 package to global smartphone makers, Samsung plans to further strengthen its presence in the flagship mobile device market throughout 2021.
Samsung will also expand the use of its LPDDR5 offerings into automotive applications, offering an extended temperature range to meet strict safety and reliability standards in extreme environments.